Cnet: Microsoft is promising that Windows 8 won't require as many reboots after downloading an update or patch, and when reboots are required, they won't be as intrusive. "When it comes to Windows Update, one of the most discussed topics is the disruptiveness of restarts in the course of automatic updating," blogged Microsoft's Farzana Rahman. "And for good reason--restarts can interrupt you right in the middle of something important."

To avoid that annoyance, Windows 8 will consolidate all restarts so that they occur on each month's Patch Tuesday. If a reboot is required, a message will appear on the user's screen for up to three days. Only when the three days are up and only if the PC is not currently running applications will the system then automatically reboot.